Turkish Artillery Retaliates for Deadly Syrian Shelling

The Turkish military on Wednesday launched artillery attacks against Syria in response to cross-border shelling which killed five civilians in southeastern Turkey, sharply raising tensions that Syria’s civil conflict is spilling over its own borders.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a statement condemning the Syrian shelling and justifying the return fire as “in line with the rules of engagement.”

“Our armed forces at the border region responded to this atrocious attack with artillery fire on points in Syria that were detected with radar, in line with the rules of engagement,” the Turkish statement said.

“Turkey, acting within the rules of engagement and international laws, will never leave unreciprocated such provocations by the Syrian regime against our national security,” it added.

Following the skirmish, Turkey held an emergency meeting with NATO’s National Atlantic Council. While the meeting resulted in a condemnation of the Syrian shelling, they stopped short of escalatory actions.

Turkey has experienced destabilizing effects from Syria’s conflict, and has even been aiding and arming Syrian rebel fighters trying to overthrow the Syrian regime, which could potentially prompt an outbreak of war.

Ankara may want an escalation in the stand-off with Syria, but there will be no NATO war without US backing. Although the US has been meddling in Syria’s conflict – by sending aid to the rebel fighters and fueling the violence – many in the US still don’t see an outbreak of war in Syria as workable.

The sectarian nature of the conflict brings back very fresh memories of the power vacuum and subsequent descent into chaos that broke out in Iraq. Furthermore, the opposition has elements of extremism and even al-Qaeda in it, and there’s no viable organized opposition for anyone to support.

Half measures like imposing a no-fly zone would also worsen the situation, given Assad’s considerable anti-aircraft capabilities, which are located in urban areas, putting more civilians at risk if the US were to try to take them out. This is also likely to expand the conflict outside Syria’s borders, something even war planners aren’t willing to risk.

What hypocrisy. Fly unbidden into Syrian airspace and get shot down. Welcome and encourage terrorists to operate within it's borders as it engages in attacks within Syria and then act "surprised" when the violence spills over? Then when Kurds operating in Syria do the exact thing as the FSA does the Turks beat their chests and cry foul. It's almost comedic if it weren't so sad.

Ben_C

'Syria' allegedly shelled 'Turkey'???

If true, I'm sure this was a unilateral and "unprovoked" act of 'aggression' against the Nation of Turkey (which, btw, is openly arming and 'assisting' armed militant insurgent terrorists inside the Nation of Syria)..

"Emergency" NATO 'meeting' required stat… The # of "Articles" I'm sure this 'violates' is so unbelievably staggering and mind-blowing, just listing and discussing each and every 'violation' would take years…

………issue the 'strong statement' of "condemnation"……make a 'note' and add this to the 'list' of "Atrocities" and "War Crimes" of the 'brutal, barbaric, criminal, deranged Assad Regime'……notify the lame-stream to make sure this 'story' is all over the g-damn place….and we're done….

……………………………………..

I may have mentioned this before, but this Syria 'situation' is beyond absurd at this point….

Andrew P Nichols

Shelling by Syria? That's at odds with every other report which mention a stray mortar, fired by persons unknown. The response has been extensive turkish shelling. Is this the false flag casus belli for intervention long sought by the usual suspects?

Oregon and in general the Turkish religious government is the NATO barking dog in the region, they been promised by NATO, if they cooperate, they will have Syria as their colony and that's what this Turkish government is good for, being a the lap dog of NATO, helping NATO terrorists groups. This latest turmoil in Middle East is the result of the neo liberal fascism in Europe starting from France ending in Sweden, these idiots are used and as a abused child of Zionism doing exactly what they are asked to do. Start another turmoil otherwise you won't get the Saudis, UAE feudalism, the us and in general the Zionism hand an hand with vulture capitalism help, that is the reason for these liberals being called the Neo Fascism. They started with Yugoslavia while bill Clinton and tony Blair had the power, now they are trying to start the Third World War by using and abusing the sunny Muslims once again, stop the muslimization of the world, this is not democracy nor these neo fascism foreign policies will create any democracy.

liberal

Yes, isn't Turkey sheltering and giving aid to the rebels a casus belli?